The Jaimini Scholar Program
JSP Lalita
Starting 2020, a rare opportunity to attain the highest certification in Jyotisha in this profound program of knowledge and awakening
Notice: Access to this course requires having completed years 1, 2 and 3a
Jaimini Scholar Dr Andrew Foss is announcing a new Jaimini Scholar Course (JSP) course, likely the last time he will mentor this course. Lasting about 5 years, this course has been passed down through long generations of masters of Jyotish and given to us by Pandit Sanjay Rath. It is designed for those who really want to fathom the depths of this wonderful knowledge in a traditional lineage, just as Maharishi Jaimini indicates it should be learned in his sutras.
This intimate course will consist of online training, mentoring sessions and annual contact classes. It is our intention to hold the contact classes in India in key sacred sites for the Vedic knowledge especially Jyotish.
The course will formally start in May with the mentoring sessions but the online lectures are already available and a series of lectures on core subjects in Jyotish is being held including about the Sanskrit language and its important use in Jaimini. Those unfamiliar with the Sanskrit alphabet will benefit from familiarizing themselves with the letters, a fairly simple task with which Andrew will provide assistance.
Applications will be considered until the middle of 2020. If you previously attended part of this course, you can also apply at a later stage.
The course will cost US$1539 per calendar year payable April 15th each year. Note some other mentors charge a different rate but there are other higher costs involved in their approach so the overall cost is similar or higher. More details under Payment below. This payment is for the mentoring service only. Access to online recorded classes costs euro200 (about US$225) per year and this access is a requirement of the course. The costs of the Contact Classes is also paid by the students and a Daksina towards the costs of the mentor is very much appreciated. Contact Classes are not compulsory but highly desirable.
Contact Classes
The 2021 contact class will be held in Kollur, Karnataka, India. Provisional dates are Nov 25-4. This immensely sacred place is where Jyotishis from all over India come to pray for insight and Vak Siddhi. Those with Dr Foss’ book, Yoga of the Planets, will find the description of his first vist to Kollur in the chapter The Journey. Kollur is sacred because it has the shrine of Devi Mukambika and the whole valley with its circle of mountains is full of sacredness. We will be studying from Dec 3rd to 8th and on the 9th Andrew will lead a trip to the highest peak, Kodachadri, where the root temple of the Goddess is stationed and the views are truly spectacular. This trip is not required but it is recommended. Users of Shri Jyoti Star will be familiar with Devi Mukambika as her image appears on startup.
Kollur is a very small village surrounded by farmland and forest. As a major pilgrimage center, it has many decent and inexpensive small hotels, some here. Kollur wiki. Temple wiki and web site.
Photos: Dr Foss teaching in Kollur, India and on the top of Kodachadri mountain some years ago. This year’s classes will not necessarily be outside.
The Tradition
Maharishi Parashara can be looked on as the head of the lineage of Jyotish teaching as the oldest text that we have is his. However the tradition is that this knowledge was taught by the creator Brahma to his son Narada who taught it to Rishi Saunaka who taught Maharishi Parashara. Parashara’s son and disciple was Veda Vyasa. Maharishi Jaimini was the disciple of Veda Vyasa, thus Jaimini’s guru’s guru was Parashara. By titling his work the ‘Upadesha’ sutras, he clearly indicates that they are explanatory of the teachings received from his guru, and so from Parashara. Indeed, without Jaimini’s sutras, what other text gives such deep insight into Parashara’s teachings? There are many teachings of Parashara that have been largely ignored for lack of knowledge of how to apply them. Early in BPHS, for example, Parashara tells us to use the Rashi Drishtis (sign aspects), long before the Graha Drishtis (planetary aspects) are introduced. However, especially in the North of India, these Drishtis are seldom checked or their implications for the structure of cosmic energy understood.
500 years ago in 1510, Swami Achutyananda took birth. He became one of the PanchaSakha or five friends of the great Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Swamiji was of exceptional brilliance in the Vedic arts and sciences and became the astrologer to the king of Puri, Orissa. He authored hundreds of books and established schools of astrology and other Vedic sciences in Orissa and beyond. The lineage of Pdt. Sanjay Rath traces directly from Swami Achutyananda, the teaching being passed down within the Brahmin families unbroken over this vast stretch of time.
Those wishing to benefit from the wealth of knowledge of this lineage and become a part of it should understand that the Rishis are watching and hold us to high account. Holding this knowledge is a great responsibility. Each graduate Scholar should train at least one other suitable person while protecting the integrity of the knowledge. Sattva must be cultivated in life, and the nature of the knowledge is such that it greatly facilitates this. Knowledge of Devanagari (Sanskrit script) is a great advantage and those who have not studied this should plan to becopme familiar with it. This is easier than it might at first appear. An interest in learning something of Sanskrit vocabulary is also highly desirable. A good knowledge of basic Jyotish and, of course, a keen interest in it is also necessary.
Application
The application is available here: DOC (editable in most word processors) or PDF. If you are interested and have not had a reading with Dr Foss, please consider this – Apply here. If you have had a reading or want to ask any questions, please email Dr Foss
Payment
It is recommended that you do not pay until the mentor has written confirming acceptance to you as there will be a $100 charge for returning funds
You can subscribe annually or quarterly.
| Annual $1539/p.a. (2 years) | |
| Quarterly $399/quarter (2 years) |
Refunds
No refunds will be given after the payment due date (April 15th 2020).
It is strongly recommended that you do not pay until formally accepted for the course. Please note, being part of the course chat group does not constitute acceptance.
Note: All terms and conditions subject to change without notice. Those accepted on the course will be informed through the course group chat.
Recommended Books
1. Jaimini Maharishi’s Upadesha Sutras
2. A Course on Jaimini Maharishi’s Upadesha Sutra
Available here
The first is an essential reference. The second book contains many valuable teaching that will not be covered in the online course.
Recommended Resources
1. Downloadable Sanskrit Dictionary. Look for the MWSDD V1.5 Beta
2. Online Sanskrit Dictionary
3. ITRANS app for PCs. This lets you type in English letters and get Sanskrit. There is a table with all the codes in the Help (ITRANS Encoding Scheme). Most of them are pretty obvious. Try OM namaH shivAya.